‘It’s been running for almost four years. It’s a bit like a marriage. After a while you get to know each other, a lot of the structures that were set up at the outset were there to help make the thing work. We are in a stable modus operandi now. In local government, we do have the capability to ring each other and drop each other an email.’

Havant’s leader Tony Briggs said: ‘In the cold light of day, having given it full consideration, we believe the best way forward is to have our own governance structure. Apart from that everything else is still in place.’